Football chiefs 'need to do more' on racism - Rudiger

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has encouraged football chiefs to introduce firmer punishments on those found guilty of racist abuse. 

Rudiger had "monkey chants" directed at him by Roma fans in Chelsea's 3-3 Champions League draw last year.

Despite a case being opened by FIFA, his former club was not charged despite the evident racial abuse. 

"They need to do more, if they don't do more they're the same as the people doing it," Rudiger, 25, told Chelsea Foundation's equality and diversity workshop.

"Maybe sometimes they think it's hard to punish their fans but at the end of the day, to me, it's a clear sign that you're accepting it."

This isn't the first time that the German international has been subject to racial abuse. Rudiger was also subject to racist chants from Lazio fans while playing for Roma in March 2017, prompting the stadium announcer to warn that the match would be interrupted if they continued.

"I dealt with that in my own way by keeping quiet and respecting Italian culture," the Germany international continued to the workshop.

"I can never say that I did wrong or misbehaved, that's what's important for me and that's how I carried on.

"Just because some idiots say things, I don't need to involve the whole of Italy in that, I like Italy and had a great time there but some people need to get punished harder."